There are 11,000 new jobs created every year in Scotland’s booming tech industry – and something new in Edinburgh has been designed specifically to tackle the skills gap.

And it’s looking for employers to get behind it.

The country’s first accredited digital skills academy, CodeClan, was launched in October 2015 with the express aim to train and upskill a new generation of programmers, delivering high-quality, job-ready junior developers to the tech industry throughout Scotland.

It isn’t acting alone, either; both the Scottish Government (along with its educational award-accrediting body SQA, the Scottish Qualifications Authority) and ScotlandIS (the nation’s digital technologies trade body, a vocal advocate of the industry being key to Scotland’s economic survival) support the academy.

That’s the kind of seal of approval that might explain why 40 employers have already signed up to pledge hands-on involvement with the academy.

And the list is growing, with more and more companies keen to provide more than just a job at the end of the road, but also guest speakers and site visits.

They even contribute to the ongoing moulding and remoulding of the curriculum itself, ensuring that the skills being taught are precisely those required by the industry.

The 16 week immersive coding course

Scotland has always been at the forefront of science, technology and industry; so access to cutting-edge learning like CodeClan means that this pioneering legacy can be maintained. Since its launch late last year, the academy has seen 50 students graduate, and move into a diverse range of roles within five weeks of finishing the course.

Their 16 week software development course is fast-paced and stimulating, giving students a solid foundation in the key programming skills that employers strive for.

They carefully screen candidates assessing key criteria such as problem solving abilities, aptitude for coding and work attitude.

Trainees are continually challenged, learning new languages and techniques, along with team working skills.

Applying agile principles, each trainee produces a portfolio of web application projects, providing a clear demonstration of how they could fit into employer teams.

Become a hiring partner

As a CodeClan partner, you will have access to a fantastic pool of new talent. Courses of 20 trainees start every six weeks.

You will have the opportunity to present your organisation to each new group and CodeClan will provide you with regular meet-ups and CVs.

Becoming a CodeClan partner is easy - just visit the employer section of the CodeClan website and click on the ‘Make a pledge’ button! There is no fee to pledge, but they do ask you to contribute to costs when you hire - a perfect solution to filling your tech roles.